In episode 100 of the Aerospace Advantage podcast, Collaborative Combat Aircraft: Understanding Next Steps, John Baum chats with Heather Penney of the Mitchell Institute about key factors the Air Force should consider as it works to transform its vision for these next generation UAVs into viable operational assets. The motivation for these new aircraft is clear: gaining capability and capacity necessary to win in a peer fight. Highlighting findings from a recent report she drafted on this topic, Heather discusses why the Air Force is interested in CCAs and not just more manned aircraft, how trust factors into the development and employment of the autonomy technology, and crucial areas of autonomy development that the Air Force must focus on if CCA are to deliver on their promise. This is an important conversation to help understand one of the most dynamic aspects of combat airpower under development today.

Credits:

Host: Lt Col (Ret.) John “Slick” Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Heather Penney, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

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